When it comes to cooking food, gentlemen point their fingers towards the weaker sex. Not that they are weak anymore, but still, the females should have a say as far as the kitchen lighting design is concerned. But it is observed in most cases that the males overlook this task and the end result is a mess. They just do not bother to understand the basics of the kitchen and plan the lighting as if they were planning the lighting for the drawing room or the bedroom. The kitchen is the sole domain of those who are going to cook food in there and keeping this in mind, the lighting arrangement should be done so that it helps to provide light where it is required.
You need not be a cooking specialist to guess how the lighting arrangement of the kitchen has to be planned. It is obvious that those who are cooking will spend the maximum time near the burners hence that is the location where one has to pay maximum attention. There should be sufficient light over there so that the food is cooked properly and does not get burnt. Proper lighting will ensure that that the cook is able to observe the color of the food being processed and ensure that it is neither raw nor overcooked. Also the color of the light emitted is vital. It should resemble natural light as far as practicable. If you are planning to install a chimney, keep that in mind so that the same does not obstruct the light.
The sink is also important and should be well lighted. Improper lighting near the sink will translate into pieces of grime not getting cleaned properly. Over here, the color of the light is not so important and a focus lamp is preferred. Apart from this, there should be a few more lamps that help to illuminate the other parts of the kitchen too. The chopping table should have additional light source to ensure that the vegetables are chopped properly and that something else does not get chopped along with the same. There are many programs available that provides one with an accurate graphical representation of the layout of the lights and if required use such software to ensure that you are not wasting the lumens outputted by the light.
The lights should neither be too high up in the ceiling nor too low. If the lights are set too high, replacing them in the event they get fused will be a problem. If they are too low, the might get broken on accidental impact with the broom handle or any long handled tool that you use in the kitchen. Proper kitchen lighting design is not a tough task, if you plan it out properly. Just think a couple of times before you decide. If so required, check out the kitchen of your neighbor or friend. Once the layout has been made, it will be tough to change it.
By:Albert Lee
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